It has become conventional practice throughout the world for countries with established systems of intellectual property to offer copyright protection for computer programs. Indonesia, for example, provides copyright protection for computer programs for a period of 50 years from the date of first publication.

The Vietnamese government recently enacted a new regulation on administrative sanctions in cases of industrial property infringement. Decree No. 99/2013/ND-CP, dated August 28, 2013 (Decree 99), came into effect on October 15 of this year, replacing Decree 97/2010/ND-CP (Decree 97).

Abraham Lincoln once said, “The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.” It was an unmistakably true statement; patents have undoubtedly become an essential tool for protecting new inventions. Not only do patents guard against the unauthorized use of an inventor’s creation, but they foster innovation by granting exclusive legal rights for limited durations.

Condominium units are valuable properties that owners often wish to see passed on to their heirs upon their death. In Thailand, there are a significant number of foreign condominium owners, many of whom are uncertain about property inheritance laws. This article will explore some of the pertinent issues surrounding inheritance by foreigners of foreign-owned condominium units.

Rights holders are looking to Southeast Asia as the next growth region. In this virtual roundtable in the November 2013 edition of Managing Intellectual Property magazine, attorneys from various law firms explain the latest changes in the region. The Tilleke & Gibbins team focused on updates in Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

As part of the Vietnamese government’s efforts to overhaul its labor legislation, it adopted Decree 102/2013/ND-CP on September 5, 2013 (Decree 102), elaborating on the provisions of the new Labor Code (in force since May 1, 2013) on foreign workers in Vietnam. Decree 102 will be effective as of November 1, 2013. We discuss some of the key points below.Employer Reporting Requirements

Industry Minister Prasert Boonchaisuk recently reiterated the government’s determination to continue promoting the Thailand Creative Economy initiative. In an attempt to rally support for Thailand’s transition to an innovation-driven country, he used rousing words such as “creative” and “sustainable” to describe his latest strategy. A three-stage, 20-year plan is now being drawn up, but it is not without its challenges.The Three Stages

Under Thai law, there are no requirements that employment contracts be made in writing. For some employers, this may create the perception that they can simply reach a cursory agreement with an employee on a few basic issues, such as job role and salary, and work out any other issues as they arise. In reality, this could not be further from the truth.